world cup raceshttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/taxonomy/term/7175/%252Ffeed
enGreats Under Pressurehttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/jean-claude-killy/2006/02/greats-under-pressure?lnk=rss&loc=world-cup-races
<p>With 48 homers and 130 runs batted in, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez won the Most Valuable Player award last season. But in the playoffs, Rodriguez has famously flopped throughout his career.
</p><p>Ask about the greatest skiers of all time and you usually hear a recitation of racers with stellar Rodriguez-like stats: For example, Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark, winner of a record 86 World Cup races, and Austria's Annemarie Proell, with a women's record of 62 races won. And there's Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, who racked up more overall World Cup titles (5) and starts (423) than any racer in history. But you won't find Proell or Girardelli on my list of the greatest Olympic racers. Neither won more than one gold medal in a single Winter Games. Stenmark didn't even race in the downhill.
</p><p>No, skiing's true superstars are athletes who don't appear on career lists counting most races won. They won races when winning counted most: at crunch time, in the Olympics, when the whole world was watching. Fail in an Olympic race and you have to wait four years before you can redeem yourself.
</p><p>By this standard, the all-time best was arguably 1956 Olympic champion Toni Sailer. The margins by which the Austrian won his three gold medals were staggering: 3.5 seconds in the downhill, a mind-boggling 6.4 seconds in the one-run giant slalom, 4 seconds in the slalom. At the 1958 World Championships, Sailer almost repeated his Olympic hat trick, placing first in both downhill and giant slalom, and second in the slalom. With jet-black hair and a born leading-man's poise, the handsome, six-foot poster boy of the ski life went on to act in films and television.
</p><p>Sailer and Jean-Claude Killy are the only racers to have captured in a single Winter Olympics all of the glittering alpine gold medals to be won. (In their eras, there were just three competitions—the super G and combined races hadn't yet been introduced.)
</p><p>Killy, then 24, was already a champion before his triumph at the 1968 Winter Olympics. The previous winter, in capturing the first overall World Cup title, the Frenchman had won 71 percent of the races on the calendar, a remarkable feat that's never been equaled.
</p><p>The pressure on Killy before the '68 Grenoble Olympics was unimaginably intense. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by a crush of photographers and autograph-seekers. Killy went into seclusion for a week prior to the Games, then reappeared to perform his Olympic gold-medal hat trick—though he won by narrower margins than Sailer had.
</p><p>"The greatest racers, in my opinion, win gold at the Olympics and World Championships, insists 1970 World Champion Billy Kidd. "The events are followed on TV and in newspapers around the world, and they demand something that doesn't come into play in career-long performances and season-long accumulations of points: the ability to win when the stakes are highest. Killy's and Sailer's Olympic sweeps, carried out over 12 days and in less than five total minutes of competition, are proof to Kidd of their ranking among the greatest of the sport.
</p><p>Women may not race with the same strength and speed as men, but their competitive fervor is no less. In 1952 at Oslo, fiercely determined Andrea Mead Lawrence won two Olympic gold medals at the age of 19, an achievement never equaled by a male teenager. She's also the only American to win twice in a single Olympics. (Alas, she fell in the downhill.) [NEXT]Germany's Rosi Mittermaier in 1976 and Liechtenstein's Hanni Wenzel in 1980 both narrowly missed winning all of the Olympic alpine races in a single Winter Games. After gold-medaling in the downhill and slalom, Mittermaier came within one eighth of a second of winning the giant slalom.
</p><p>Arguably, the greatest woman ski racer of all time is still racing today. She is Croatia's Janica Kostelic, who won three gold medals and a silver—out of five alpine events—at the Salt Lake Winter Games in 2002. Since then, Kostelic has earned no fewer thaan five World Championship gold medals. I wouldn't bet against her taking home four medals in this month's Olympic races.
</p><p>Also scheduled to race in the upcoming Winter Games is 18-season veteran Kjetil Andre Aamodt, whose seven Olympic medals are an all-time record in alpine skiing. He will have to beat his Norwegian teammate Lasse Kjus who, over a dozen days at the 1999 Vail World Championships, won twogolds and three silvers.
</p><p>Occasionally, pressure to win is self-imposed. After Muhammad Ali talked big and Babe Ruth pointed a finger at the fences, they both delivered. Hermann Maier met the challenge at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. After a spectacular airborne crash in the downhill, he rose like a man from the dead and went on to win both the super G and the giant slalom. Today, following a nearly fatal motorcycle crash that left him with a mangled leg, Maier has risen again and will be vying for three gold medals at the Winter Games.
</p><p>Will 2005 World Cup champion Bode Miller rise to the level of the all-time greats? Like Killy in his day, Miller is the only male racer today capable of winning in every alpine discipline. But each gate in the Olympics is a chance to fail. So Miller, who likes to compete in every event, may confront 270 gates during less than 10 minutes of competition. In races that are regularly determined by hundredths of a second, a single mistake at a single gate can spell defeat. It's as severe a challenge as exists in any sport.
</p><p>Like Olympic gold medalist Phil Mahre 22 years ago, the outspoken New Hampshire native doesn't think that Olympic medals can deliberately be won. "In ski racing, Miller says in his new book, "you have on-days and off-days, and sometimes the Olympics fall on an off-day. It's the law of averages. Maybe, but the greatest Olympic champions weren't racers with prepared excuses built around the inevitability of averages. They went out and conquered off-days and the law of averages by winning multiple medals.
</p><p>Past winners have risen to the ultimate Olympic challenge. Perhaps Miller can too. Meanwhile, I bow in reverence to the golden men and women in our sport.
</p><p><b>The Super Seven</b><br /> In a ski racer's world, there may not be any greater pressure than that faced in the starting gate of an Olympic race. Here's a list of the greatest racers in a single Winter Games, and the years in which they excelled.
<ol>1 Toni Sailer 1956<br />2 Janica Kostelic 2002<br />3 Jean-Claude Killy 1968<br />4 Rosi Mittermaier 1976<br />5 Hanni Wenzel 1980 <br />6 Andrea Mead Lawrence 1952<br />7 Hermann Maier 1998 </ol>
</p><p><I>John Fry covered four Winter Olympics and has written for 40 years about the World Cup. He's the author of The Story of Modern Skiing, to be published by University Press of New England in September. </i>
</p><p>FEBRUARY 2006</p>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/jean-claude-killy/2006/02/greats-under-pressure#commentsGiant slalom skiinggold medalsjean claude killymarc girardelliolympic championposter boyskiingwinter olympicsworld cup racesskiing8466http://www.skinet.com/skiing/http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Fall Line<p>With 48 homers and 130 runs batted in, New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez won the Most Valuable Player award last season. But in the playoffs, Rodriguez has famously flopped throughout his career.
</p><p>Ask about the greatest skiers of all time and you usually hear a recitation of racers with stellar Rodriguez-like stats: For example, Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark, winner of a record 86 World Cup races, and Austria's Annemarie Proell, with a women's record of 62 races won. And there's Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, who racked up more overall World Cup titles (5) and starts (423) than any racer in history. But you won't find Proell or Girardelli on my list of the greatest Olympic racers. Neither won more than one gold medal in a single Winter Games. Stenmark didn't even race in the downhill.
</p><p>No, skiing's true superstars are athletes who don't appear on career lists counting most races won. They won races when winning counted most: at crunch time, in the Olympics, when the whole world was watching. Fail in an Olympic race and you have to wait four years before you can redeem yourself.
</p><p>By this standard, the all-time best was arguably 1956 Olympic champion Toni Sailer. The margins by which the Austrian won his three gold medals were staggering: 3.5 seconds in the downhill, a mind-boggling 6.4 seconds in the one-run giant slalom, 4 seconds in the slalom. At the 1958 World Championships, Sailer almost repeated his Olympic hat trick, placing first in both downhill and giant slalom, and second in the slalom. With jet-black hair and a born leading-man's poise, the handsome, six-foot poster boy of the ski life went on to act in films and television.
</p><p>Sailer and Jean-Claude Killy are the only racers to have captured in a single Winter Olympics all of the glittering alpine gold medals to be won. (In their eras, there were just three competitions—the super G and combined races hadn't yet been introduced.)
</p><p>Killy, then 24, was already a champion before his triumph at the 1968 Winter Olympics. The previous winter, in capturing the first overall World Cup title, the Frenchman had won 71 percent of the races on the calendar, a remarkable feat that's never been equaled.
</p><p>The pressure on Killy before the '68 Grenoble Olympics was unimaginably intense. Wherever he went, he was surrounded by a crush of photographers and autograph-seekers. Killy went into seclusion for a week prior to the Games, then reappeared to perform his Olympic gold-medal hat trick—though he won by narrower margins than Sailer had.
</p><p>"The greatest racers, in my opinion, win gold at the Olympics and World Championships, insists 1970 World Champion Billy Kidd. "The events are followed on TV and in newspapers around the world, and they demand something that doesn't come into play in career-long performances and season-long accumulations of points: the ability to win when the stakes are highest. Killy's and Sailer's Olympic sweeps, carried out over 12 days and in less than five total minutes of competition, are proof to Kidd of their ranking among the greatest of the sport.
</p><p>Women may not race with the same strength and speed as men, but their competitive fervor is no less. In 1952 at Oslo, fiercely determined Andrea Mead Lawrence won two Olympic gold medals at the age of 19, an achievement never equaled by a male teenager. She's also the only American to win twice in a single Olympics. (Alas, she fell in the downhill.) [NEXT]Germany's Rosi Mittermaier in 1976 and Liechtenstein's Hanni Wenzel in 1980 both narrowly missed winning all of the Olympic alpine races in a single Winter Games. After gold-medaling in the downhill and slalom, Mittermaier came within one eighth of a second of winning the giant slalom.
</p><p>Arguably, the greatest woman ski racer of all time is still racing today. She is Croatia's Janica Kostelic, who won three gold medals and a silver—out of five alpine events—at the Salt Lake Winter Games in 2002. Since then, Kostelic has earned no fewer thaan five World Championship gold medals. I wouldn't bet against her taking home four medals in this month's Olympic races.
</p><p>Also scheduled to race in the upcoming Winter Games is 18-season veteran Kjetil Andre Aamodt, whose seven Olympic medals are an all-time record in alpine skiing. He will have to beat his Norwegian teammate Lasse Kjus who, over a dozen days at the 1999 Vail World Championships, won twogolds and three silvers.
</p><p>Occasionally, pressure to win is self-imposed. After Muhammad Ali talked big and Babe Ruth pointed a finger at the fences, they both delivered. Hermann Maier met the challenge at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. After a spectacular airborne crash in the downhill, he rose like a man from the dead and went on to win both the super G and the giant slalom. Today, following a nearly fatal motorcycle crash that left him with a mangled leg, Maier has risen again and will be vying for three gold medals at the Winter Games.
</p><p>Will 2005 World Cup champion Bode Miller rise to the level of the all-time greats? Like Killy in his day, Miller is the only male racer today capable of winning in every alpine discipline. But each gate in the Olympics is a chance to fail. So Miller, who likes to compete in every event, may confront 270 gates during less than 10 minutes of competition. In races that are regularly determined by hundredths of a second, a single mistake at a single gate can spell defeat. It's as severe a challenge as exists in any sport.
</p><p>Like Olympic gold medalist Phil Mahre 22 years ago, the outspoken New Hampshire native doesn't think that Olympic medals can deliberately be won. "In ski racing, Miller says in his new book, "you have on-days and off-days, and sometimes the Olympics fall on an off-day. It's the law of averages. Maybe, but the greatest Olympic champions weren't racers with prepared excuses built around the inevitability of averages. They went out and conquered off-days and the law of averages by winning multiple medals.
</p><p>Past winners have risen to the ultimate Olympic challenge. Perhaps Miller can too. Meanwhile, I bow in reverence to the golden men and women in our sport.
</p><p><b>The Super Seven</b><br /> In a ski racer's world, there may not be any greater pressure than that faced in the starting gate of an Olympic race. Here's a list of the greatest racers in a single Winter Games, and the years in which they excelled.
<ol>1 Toni Sailer 1956<br />2 Janica Kostelic 2002<br />3 Jean-Claude Killy 1968<br />4 Rosi Mittermaier 1976<br />5 Hanni Wenzel 1980 <br />6 Andrea Mead Lawrence 1952<br />7 Hermann Maier 1998 </ol>
</p><p><I>John Fry covered four Winter Olympics and has written for 40 years about the World Cup. He's the author of The Story of Modern Skiing, to be published by University Press of New England in September. </i>
</p><p>FEBRUARY 2006</p>
articleTue, 28 Feb 2006 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor8466 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingSnowgasms, Your Florist Naked, And a Narcoleptic Weather Girlhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/fis-world-cup/2004/01/snowgasms-your-florist-naked-and-a-narcoleptic-weather-girl?lnk=rss&loc=world-cup-races
<p><B>Porn to Run</b><br />The ski-film maestros at Teton Gravity Research and Warren Miller just keep going bigger. This year's nationwide tour for TGR's High Life will touch down in Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and almost every ski town in the Empire-131 cities all told. The highlight, however, are the dozen or so "Super Shows," all-evening events featuring athletes from the film, DJs, and live music. The November 20 bash at Boston's swank club Avalon features the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike taking charge of the après-movie groove (tetongravity.com). Warren Miller's Journey, meanwhile, travels across North America throughout November, offering attendees exclusive lift ticket offers and truckloads of swag (warrenmiller.com). </p><P><B>Park City Party</b><br />For the past 18 years, Park City has hosted America's opening World Cup ski races every November. This year they're the only FIS World Cup races in North America. The men's races coincide with opening day on November 22-23, but you'll have a second chance to party with the U.S. Ski Team when the women come to town on the 29th and 30th. Park City will once again close down Main Street and throw a huge open-air concert. Check out who's playing this year at parkcity.com. </p><P><B>Mountain-grown Humor</b><br />"It's not just about making asses out of ourselves," says Joel Belmont, 25, of The James and Joel Show, the off-beat, no-budget program he and his brother James, 22, co-host. "Although that often happens in the process." The show consists of the brothers, who also run the family's carpet-cleaning business, prancing around nearly naked, spoofing The Crocodile Hunter, and making good use of a narcoleptic and geographically confused weather girl. "It's sort of a blend of Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, and David Letterman-with its own unique flair," says James. Look for new episodes on Aspen's GrassRoots Television (grassrootstv.org) this fall and winter. </p><P><B>Full Frontal</b><br />"It was the thing to do," says Mikey Franco, a snowboard instructor who posed nude for Jackson artist Christian Birch's enticing show "Jackson Stripped" this past August at the Muse Gallery (jhmusegallery.com). Most of the 40-some locals who lined up to take it all off for Birch chose a symbolic object (jock strap, say, or a copy of the The New York Times) to place in front of their privates on the canvas. A few, like package-baring Franco, chose nothing. "I was nervous," he admits, "even though it was often hard to tell who was who. But we all recognized our favorite bartender-she had two martini glasses over her breasts."</p><P><B>Party Favor</b><br />Luge shots have been all the rage in British Columbia since Vancouver got the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. To build your own course, buy a large ice block, chisel a sluiceway, tilt the block, and set the booze free.</p><P><B>The Paralyzer</b><br />Melissa's Bar and Lounge, Banff, Alberta<br /><B>Inspiration:</b> Ailing ski patrollers in need of a stomach-friendly alcoholic elixir. <br /><B>Ingredients:</b>1/2 ounce vodka, tequila, gin, or rye1/2 ounce Kahlua3/4 ounce Coke1 1/2 ounces milk<br /><B>Directions:</b> Mix Coke, Kahlua, and liquor (vodka goes down easiest), shake, top with milk, and then throw in a cherry.</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2004/01/would-you-vote-for-this-man">Crested Butte&#039;s Colorful Mayor</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/2003/11/zealots-at-the-freeheel-altar">Zealots at the Freeheel Altar</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/massive-bonfire/2004/01/debauchery-september-2003">Debauchery: September 2003</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/fis-world-cup/2004/01/snowgasms-your-florist-naked-and-a-narcoleptic-weather-girl#commentsfis world cupgravity researchski racingski townwarren millerworld cup racesskiing12952http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/skiing/content/images/Nov03/vibe1103/SKG1103vbct.jpg52089Vibe 1103
PARTY FAVOR Luge shots have been all the rage in British Columbia since Vancouver got the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. To build your own course, buy a large ice block, chisel a sluiceway, tilt the block, and set the booze free.
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Vibe<p><B>Porn to Run</b><br />The ski-film maestros at Teton Gravity Research and Warren Miller just keep going bigger. This year's nationwide tour for TGR's High Life will touch down in Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and almost every ski town in the Empire-131 cities all told. The highlight, however, are the dozen or so "Super Shows," all-evening events featuring athletes from the film, DJs, and live music. The November 20 bash at Boston's swank club Avalon features the Beastie Boys' Mix Master Mike taking charge of the après-movie groove (tetongravity.com). Warren Miller's Journey, meanwhile, travels across North America throughout November, offering attendees exclusive lift ticket offers and truckloads of swag (warrenmiller.com). </p><P><B>Park City Party</b><br />For the past 18 years, Park City has hosted America's opening World Cup ski races every November. This year they're the only FIS World Cup races in North America. The men's races coincide with opening day on November 22-23, but you'll have a second chance to party with the U.S. Ski Team when the women come to town on the 29th and 30th. Park City will once again close down Main Street and throw a huge open-air concert. Check out who's playing this year at parkcity.com. </p><P><B>Mountain-grown Humor</b><br />"It's not just about making asses out of ourselves," says Joel Belmont, 25, of The James and Joel Show, the off-beat, no-budget program he and his brother James, 22, co-host. "Although that often happens in the process." The show consists of the brothers, who also run the family's carpet-cleaning business, prancing around nearly naked, spoofing The Crocodile Hunter, and making good use of a narcoleptic and geographically confused weather girl. "It's sort of a blend of Monty Python, Saturday Night Live, and David Letterman-with its own unique flair," says James. Look for new episodes on Aspen's GrassRoots Television (grassrootstv.org) this fall and winter. </p><P><B>Full Frontal</b><br />"It was the thing to do," says Mikey Franco, a snowboard instructor who posed nude for Jackson artist Christian Birch's enticing show "Jackson Stripped" this past August at the Muse Gallery (jhmusegallery.com). Most of the 40-some locals who lined up to take it all off for Birch chose a symbolic object (jock strap, say, or a copy of the The New York Times) to place in front of their privates on the canvas. A few, like package-baring Franco, chose nothing. "I was nervous," he admits, "even though it was often hard to tell who was who. But we all recognized our favorite bartender-she had two martini glasses over her breasts."</p><P><B>Party Favor</b><br />Luge shots have been all the rage in British Columbia since Vancouver got the bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. To build your own course, buy a large ice block, chisel a sluiceway, tilt the block, and set the booze free.</p><P><B>The Paralyzer</b><br />Melissa's Bar and Lounge, Banff, Alberta<br /><B>Inspiration:</b> Ailing ski patrollers in need of a stomach-friendly alcoholic elixir. <br /><B>Ingredients:</b>1/2 ounce vodka, tequila, gin, or rye1/2 ounce Kahlua3/4 ounce Coke1 1/2 ounces milk<br /><B>Directions:</b> Mix Coke, Kahlua, and liquor (vodka goes down easiest), shake, top with milk, and then throw in a cherry.</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2004/01/would-you-vote-for-this-man">Crested Butte&#039;s Colorful Mayor</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/2003/11/zealots-at-the-freeheel-altar">Zealots at the Freeheel Altar</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/massive-bonfire/2004/01/debauchery-september-2003">Debauchery: September 2003</a> </div>
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</div>
articleFri, 16 Jan 2004 09:40:00 +0000SkiNet Editor12952 at http://www.skinet.com/skiing#8: Lake Louise, Albertahttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/world-cup-races/2003/08/8-lake-louise-alberta?lnk=rss&loc=world-cup-races
<p>Lake Louise is a body of water, a resort village, a mammoth ski venue (4,200 acres), and a state of mind. From the ski area's several summits, within Banff National Park, you gaze at a sea of peaks whose characteristic banded cliffs, vast snowfields, and slim chutes stretch to infinity. There's nothing like it in the U.S.</p><P>And that state of mind? Sheer euphoria. Stand at the top of Swede's Gully, tips suspended over a chute so precarious you can barely see the bottom, suck a deep breath, and jump in. Expansive snowfields? Mount Whitehorn has half a dozen. Steep glades? The Ptarmigan chair accesses six. Bumps? Ptarmigan and Raven are among Canada's best mogul runs. In the mood to cruise? The longest boulevard is five miles.</p><P>This far north, the tree line is low, so much of the terrain in Louise's vast back basin is wide open. The area claims only 140 inches of annual snowfall, but with abundant off-piste skiing, you can find freshies off the back side almost every day. December and January can be nippy, with short days and long nights; by February, average daytime temperatures approach the balmy.</p><P><b>Play: </b>Though Louise is on the quieter side, nearby Banff rocks. The St. James's Gate Irish bar is perennially popular, and the hottest live music is at the Barbary Coast. At the Outabounds, the decibel level is so high the dance floor vibrates. The Aurora offers a martini lounge and cigar bar.</p><P><b>Stay: </b>Since most tourists visit in summer, winter rates are rock bottom. Sleep at the posh Chateau Lake Louise or Banff Springs Hotel for a (relative) pittance, or stay for a song at one of Banff's motels or the Alpine Center's hostel at Lake Louise.</p><P><b>Save the Date: </b>World Cup races are held each December -- start planning for next year. </p><P><b>800-258-7669; www.skilouise.com</b></p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/9-telluride-colorado">#9: Telluride, Colorado</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/taos-ski-valley-new-mexico/2003/08/10-taos-ski-valley-new-mexico">#10: Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/world-cup-races/2003/08/8-lake-louise-alberta#commentsannual snowfallgullylake louise albertaworld cup racesskiing11258http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/mtnpub/content/images/old/standard/01/12/skg1101AGiM.jpg46211adventure guide: lake louise
Lake Louise isn't actually bowl shaped, but it does have a lot of bowls. (Credit: Alec Pytlowany)
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Adventure<p>Lake Louise is a body of water, a resort village, a mammoth ski venue (4,200 acres), and a state of mind. From the ski area's several summits, within Banff National Park, you gaze at a sea of peaks whose characteristic banded cliffs, vast snowfields, and slim chutes stretch to infinity. There's nothing like it in the U.S.</p><P>And that state of mind? Sheer euphoria. Stand at the top of Swede's Gully, tips suspended over a chute so precarious you can barely see the bottom, suck a deep breath, and jump in. Expansive snowfields? Mount Whitehorn has half a dozen. Steep glades? The Ptarmigan chair accesses six. Bumps? Ptarmigan and Raven are among Canada's best mogul runs. In the mood to cruise? The longest boulevard is five miles.</p><P>This far north, the tree line is low, so much of the terrain in Louise's vast back basin is wide open. The area claims only 140 inches of annual snowfall, but with abundant off-piste skiing, you can find freshies off the back side almost every day. December and January can be nippy, with short days and long nights; by February, average daytime temperatures approach the balmy.</p><P><b>Play: </b>Though Louise is on the quieter side, nearby Banff rocks. The St. James's Gate Irish bar is perennially popular, and the hottest live music is at the Barbary Coast. At the Outabounds, the decibel level is so high the dance floor vibrates. The Aurora offers a martini lounge and cigar bar.</p><P><b>Stay: </b>Since most tourists visit in summer, winter rates are rock bottom. Sleep at the posh Chateau Lake Louise or Banff Springs Hotel for a (relative) pittance, or stay for a song at one of Banff's motels or the Alpine Center's hostel at Lake Louise.</p><P><b>Save the Date: </b>World Cup races are held each December -- start planning for next year. </p><P><b>800-258-7669; www.skilouise.com</b></p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/9-telluride-colorado">#9: Telluride, Colorado</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/taos-ski-valley-new-mexico/2003/08/10-taos-ski-valley-new-mexico">#10: Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico</a> </div>
</div>
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articleMon, 11 Aug 2003 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11258 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingTop 5: Party Spotshttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/top-5-party-spots?lnk=rss&loc=world-cup-races
<p><b>1. ASPEN, Colorado</b><br />Back in the day, partyers in ski boots danced on beer-drenched floors and the Eagles played for free at the Little Nell bar. Now a five-star hotel sits in its place. But under the glitz, Aspen is still a party town. Play air hockey with a tattooed barfly at Cooper Street Pier, catch a live act at the Double Diamond, or shake it Latin-style at Jimmy's. This season, with snowboarders now welcome on Ajax and happenings from World Cup races to the Spring Jam, the spirit of the old Little Nell lives on.</p><P><b>2. WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, British Columbia</b><br />Whistler is so happening that some locals' haunts change each season when they become too popular with tourists. Nonetheless, thirsty mountain workers steadfastly catch end-of-day rays at Merlin's at the base of Blackcomb and Dusty's at Whistler Creekside. The beautiful people congregate at the Savage Beagle. Music of every color and creed pours out of doorways in the base village, and Garfinkel's kicks off every weekend with a Thursday-night dance party. </p><P><b>3. BRECKENRIDGE, Colorado</b><br />Breckenridge has a western-tinged après scene. Start at the Breckenridge Brewery, then work your way down Main Street to the Gold Pan Saloon (going strong since the 1800s). Pull up a saddle-style barstool or learn to country swing at the Salt Creek Saloon -- popular with rowdy local ranchers. Or duck into the historic Brown Hotel for a quiet cocktail. </p><P><b>4. KILLINGTON, Vermont</b><br />Four base areas translate into serious après-ski potential. Kick back with a local brew at the main lodge and watch the last runs on Superstar's headwall. Then join everybody else cruising the access road in search of happy-hour specials and good vibes. At the latest hot spot, the Lookout Bar and Grill, bartender Skiddy commands a loyal following. For music and some local flavor, head to McGrath's Irish Pub on Sherburne Pass. </p><P><b>5. PARK CITY, Utah</b><br />Last year Park City unveiled a new base lodge with a deck that'll have Olympic views come February. This season the news is a skier's bridge that connects the slopes to Main Street -- just step out of your bindings, and you're well on your way to après heaven. Quaff local brews at the Wasatch Brew Pub, boogie all night at HarryO's, or be seen at Robert Redford's Zoom restaurant.</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
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<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/top-5-bumps">Top 5: Bumps</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/chill-in-the-air/2003/08/top-10-field-trips">Top 10: Field Trips</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/new-mexico/2003/08/top-10-backcountry-adventures">Top 10: Backcountry Adventures</a> </div>
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<a href="/skiing/2001/11/25-great-packages">25 Great Packages</a> </div>
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http://www.skinet.com/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/top-5-party-spots#commentsaspenbreckenridge coloradolittle nellPark Citywhistler blackcombworld cup racesColorado Ski Resortsskiing11264http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/mtnpub/content/images/old/thumb/01/12/skg1101AGqT.jpg51117adventure guide-party spots
High times in the high country.<br>
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Adventure<p><b>1. ASPEN, Colorado</b><br />Back in the day, partyers in ski boots danced on beer-drenched floors and the Eagles played for free at the Little Nell bar. Now a five-star hotel sits in its place. But under the glitz, Aspen is still a party town. Play air hockey with a tattooed barfly at Cooper Street Pier, catch a live act at the Double Diamond, or shake it Latin-style at Jimmy's. This season, with snowboarders now welcome on Ajax and happenings from World Cup races to the Spring Jam, the spirit of the old Little Nell lives on.</p><P><b>2. WHISTLER/BLACKCOMB, British Columbia</b><br />Whistler is so happening that some locals' haunts change each season when they become too popular with tourists. Nonetheless, thirsty mountain workers steadfastly catch end-of-day rays at Merlin's at the base of Blackcomb and Dusty's at Whistler Creekside. The beautiful people congregate at the Savage Beagle. Music of every color and creed pours out of doorways in the base village, and Garfinkel's kicks off every weekend with a Thursday-night dance party. </p><P><b>3. BRECKENRIDGE, Colorado</b><br />Breckenridge has a western-tinged après scene. Start at the Breckenridge Brewery, then work your way down Main Street to the Gold Pan Saloon (going strong since the 1800s). Pull up a saddle-style barstool or learn to country swing at the Salt Creek Saloon -- popular with rowdy local ranchers. Or duck into the historic Brown Hotel for a quiet cocktail. </p><P><b>4. KILLINGTON, Vermont</b><br />Four base areas translate into serious après-ski potential. Kick back with a local brew at the main lodge and watch the last runs on Superstar's headwall. Then join everybody else cruising the access road in search of happy-hour specials and good vibes. At the latest hot spot, the Lookout Bar and Grill, bartender Skiddy commands a loyal following. For music and some local flavor, head to McGrath's Irish Pub on Sherburne Pass. </p><P><b>5. PARK CITY, Utah</b><br />Last year Park City unveiled a new base lodge with a deck that'll have Olympic views come February. This season the news is a skier's bridge that connects the slopes to Main Street -- just step out of your bindings, and you're well on your way to après heaven. Quaff local brews at the Wasatch Brew Pub, boogie all night at HarryO's, or be seen at Robert Redford's Zoom restaurant.</p>
<div class="field field-type-nodereference field-field-related-content">
<div class="field-items">
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/colorado/2003/08/top-5-bumps">Top 5: Bumps</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/chill-in-the-air/2003/08/top-10-field-trips">Top 10: Field Trips</a> </div>
<div class="field-item odd">
<a href="/skiing/resorts/rockies/new-mexico/2003/08/top-10-backcountry-adventures">Top 10: Backcountry Adventures</a> </div>
<div class="field-item even">
<a href="/skiing/2001/11/25-great-packages">25 Great Packages</a> </div>
</div>
</div>
articleMon, 11 Aug 2003 09:05:00 +0000SkiNet Editor11264 at http://www.skinet.com/skiingCompetition Celebrity File: Amen For The Messiahhttp://www.skinet.com/skiing/slalom-competition/2000/04/competition-celebrity-file-amen-for-the-messiah?lnk=rss&loc=world-cup-races
<p>In a flamboyant 12-year career that ended this fall, Italy's Alberto Tomba not only won 50 World Cup races and five Olympic medals but did so while living the life of a globe-trotting playboy. When he was asked by his coaches to concentrate more on racing than his social life during the 1992 Albertville Olympics, the self-proclaimed "Messiah of Skiing" made this concession: "I used to have a wild time with three women until 5 am. In the Olympic Village, I will live it up with five women until 3 am." The training regimen apparently worked: Tomba became the first skier in history to repeat as a gold medalist in the giant slalom.
<li> Tomba almost single-handedly carried the men's World Cup through the Nineties as he set new benchmarks both for racing and generating fan and media attention. In 1995, some 50,000 Tomba-maniacs showed up to watch him win the overall World Cup title as he proceeded to a career World Cup record second only to Ingemar Stenmark's 86 wins. A skier with a linebacker's mentality, Tomba ran over gates as much as skied around them, eventually wearing a helmet in giant slalom competition, one of the first racers to do so.
</li><li> The son of affluent clothiers in Bologna, Italy, Tomba did more than win, he exalted in each moment, once parading around the finish area wearing little more than shorts and a red tie. He was also a master of the psych-out: Tomba might be seen drinking red wine with lady friends at 2 am the night before a big race, but odds were he'd trained hard all day, been in bed since 9 pm and awoke only for the photo opp.
</li><li> When Tomba announced his retirement in November, he was in the midst of filming an action-romance movie in which he plays an Italian Bruce Willis. His duty, not surprisingly, is to protect a witness who happens to be a gorgeous woman. "Everybody is waiting for me with a gun," laughs Tomba as he explains his new role over the phone. Guess who ends up with the girl? <P><b>Off To The Races</b><br />For the second time in a decade, Beaver Creek will be the site of the World Alpine Championships, set for Jan. 30-Feb. 14, 1999. (See preview beginning on page 108.) Last spring, Beaver Creek unwittingly hosted the less publicized but no less competitive World Escalator Ski Championships.</p><P>On the final night of SKI Magazine's annual ski test last April, tester Reidar Wahl, a two-time World Pro Champion and former Norwegian national team member, challenged Olympic mogul medalist and World Cup champion Nelson Carmichael to a head-to-head race on an unusual venue: Beaver Creek's newly installed dual escalators. Crews feverishly shoveled snow and packed the course.</p><P>As the clock neared midnight, Wahl and Carmichael (shown) frantically poled out of the start. A crowd of 30-plus fans packed the race arena, including a Beaver Creek security guard who was less than thrilled to see this unsanctioned event take place under his watch. After two tight heats, Wahl narrowly prevailed over Carmichael. "I knew if I just skied my race I would overtake him," said Wahl. "After all, I had the down escalator."</p><P>Course Stats</p><P><b>The Escalator</b> <br /><b>Vertical Drop </b> 25 feet<br /><b>Length </b> 50 feet<br /><b>Grade</b> 45 degrees<br /><b>Surface </b> Grooved stainless steel<br /><b>Speed</b> 13 mph<br /><b>Course Designer</b> Schlinder<br /><b>Course Record</b> 6.73 seconds <br />(Held by: Reidar Wahl)</p><P><b>Birds Of Prey</b><br /><b>Vertical Drop</b> 2,484 feet<br /><b>Length </b> 8,606 feet<br /><b>Grade</b> 29 degrees<br /><b>Surface</b> Ice<br /><b>Speed</b> 80 mph<br /><b>Course Designer</b> Bernhard Russi<br /><b>Course Record</b> 1:41.16 <br />(Held by: Kristin Ghedina)</p>
</li></p>http://www.skinet.com/skiing/slalom-competition/2000/04/competition-celebrity-file-amen-for-the-messiah#commentsGiant slalom skiinggold medalistolympic medalsolympic villagered wineskierslalomworld cup racesskiing8688http://www.skinet.com/skiing/files/skinetimages/mtnpub/content/images/old/thumb/00/08/SKI0299slet.jpg39637Ski Life Competition: Amen For The Messiah Photo 1
(Photo by Tim Hancock)
http://www.skinet.com/skiing/Fall Line<p>In a flamboyant 12-year career that ended this fall, Italy's Alberto Tomba not only won 50 World Cup races and five Olympic medals but did so while living the life of a globe-trotting playboy. When he was asked by his coaches to concentrate more on racing than his social life during the 1992 Albertville Olympics, the self-proclaimed "Messiah of Skiing" made this concession: "I used to have a wild time with three women until 5 am. In the Olympic Village, I will live it up with five women until 3 am." The training regimen apparently worked: Tomba became the first skier in history to repeat as a gold medalist in the giant slalom.
<li> Tomba almost single-handedly carried the men's World Cup through the Nineties as he set new benchmarks both for racing and generating fan and media attention. In 1995, some 50,000 Tomba-maniacs showed up to watch him win the overall World Cup title as he proceeded to a career World Cup record second only to Ingemar Stenmark's 86 wins. A skier with a linebacker's mentality, Tomba ran over gates as much as skied around them, eventually wearing a helmet in giant slalom competition, one of the first racers to do so.
</li><li> The son of affluent clothiers in Bologna, Italy, Tomba did more than win, he exalted in each moment, once parading around the finish area wearing little more than shorts and a red tie. He was also a master of the psych-out: Tomba might be seen drinking red wine with lady friends at 2 am the night before a big race, but odds were he'd trained hard all day, been in bed since 9 pm and awoke only for the photo opp.
</li><li> When Tomba announced his retirement in November, he was in the midst of filming an action-romance movie in which he plays an Italian Bruce Willis. His duty, not surprisingly, is to protect a witness who happens to be a gorgeous woman. "Everybody is waiting for me with a gun," laughs Tomba as he explains his new role over the phone. Guess who ends up with the girl? <P><b>Off To The Races</b><br />For the second time in a decade, Beaver Creek will be the site of the World Alpine Championships, set for Jan. 30-Feb. 14, 1999. (See preview beginning on page 108.) Last spring, Beaver Creek unwittingly hosted the less publicized but no less competitive World Escalator Ski Championships.</p><P>On the final night of SKI Magazine's annual ski test last April, tester Reidar Wahl, a two-time World Pro Champion and former Norwegian national team member, challenged Olympic mogul medalist and World Cup champion Nelson Carmichael to a head-to-head race on an unusual venue: Beaver Creek's newly installed dual escalators. Crews feverishly shoveled snow and packed the course.</p><P>As the clock neared midnight, Wahl and Carmichael (shown) frantically poled out of the start. A crowd of 30-plus fans packed the race arena, including a Beaver Creek security guard who was less than thrilled to see this unsanctioned event take place under his watch. After two tight heats, Wahl narrowly prevailed over Carmichael. "I knew if I just skied my race I would overtake him," said Wahl. "After all, I had the down escalator."</p><P>Course Stats</p><P><b>The Escalator</b> <br /><b>Vertical Drop </b> 25 feet<br /><b>Length </b> 50 feet<br /><b>Grade</b> 45 degrees<br /><b>Surface </b> Grooved stainless steel<br /><b>Speed</b> 13 mph<br /><b>Course Designer</b> Schlinder<br /><b>Course Record</b> 6.73 seconds <br />(Held by: Reidar Wahl)</p><P><b>Birds Of Prey</b><br /><b>Vertical Drop</b> 2,484 feet<br /><b>Length </b> 8,606 feet<br /><b>Grade</b> 29 degrees<br /><b>Surface</b> Ice<br /><b>Speed</b> 80 mph<br /><b>Course Designer</b> Bernhard Russi<br /><b>Course Record</b> 1:41.16 <br />(Held by: Kristin Ghedina)</p>
</li></p>articleWed, 05 Apr 2000 00:00:00 +0000SkiNet Editor8688 at http://www.skinet.com/skiing